Soul Trigger

Chapter 656 Next step

“Pulitzer is not in a good condition to be visited right now; we’ll have to wait until he wakes up.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Laurent…”

Seeing the Foster sisters apologizing to her in a low voice, Angelica secretly breathed a sigh of relief, blushing as she forced a serious expression.

She brushed it off by saying she needed a medical check-up.

"Then shall we come back later? Please keep the fruit."

"Go."

Watching the two leave the room, Angelica finally broke down, her body slumping. She glanced back at Pulitzer on the hospital bed behind her, gritted her teeth, and grabbed her phone.

I can't stay in the same space as this kid for too long, or I might accidentally drain him dry.

Thankfully, the Foster sisters came in and interrupted me, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable, just like...

The silver-haired Western beauty's eyes dimmed inexplicably as she picked up her phone.

Shortly after Angelica left, along with the bed, Ji Li opened his eyes.

Looking around, he turned his head and saw a crow standing outside the open window, but he didn't rush to call it in.

There were no cameras in the room, but the soul trigger sensed the spiritual spell Angelica had left in the room.

In the world of the Awakened, spells are often more trustworthy than electronic devices, but for the more powerful Awakened, spells are actually easier to deal with.

Ji Li easily covered it up with a shielding spiritual circuit.

He raised his hand, and the enormous raven transformed into a dark purple aura that surged into his body, and the personality of the Deathbringer returned.

His blood did indeed have a strange attraction for Angelica, which could become a bargaining chip for further manipulating the Knights squad.

Starting from this point, with a little planning, it wouldn't be impossible to obtain more information about the White Island government agencies from Angelica.

As for now...

First, let's talk about the gravediggers.

He was knocked unconscious by Ji Li's crows and brought directly to the scene, essentially handing him over to Angelica and the others.

However, apart from Sika, the entire Knights team was injured, and only Sika was at the police station guarding the gravedigger, but after a round of interrogation, there was no breakthrough.

The guy kept his mouth shut in front of the knight squad. Given that it was still early, the suspected Deadwater Knight had not yet taken any action against the gravedigger, so it remained to be seen.

Meanwhile, another key figure, Jason, was also at the hospital, watching over Andrew.

Aside from the werewolf knight's unusually rapid recovery from his injuries, Ji Li didn't see any valuable information.

These two individuals, as intelligence agents, have too many limitations. Ji Li cannot receive information that is outside their five senses and their range of contact.

Releasing a flock of crows for reconnaissance poses a risk near the Deadwater Knight and Angelica.

Therefore, it was indeed necessary to make Pulitzer a temporary member like Jason in the Cavaliers' squad...

Ji Li shut down her senses to Jansen and reopened her eyes.

And there's Equiel.

After visiting Ji Li that evening with Aunt Duke, she stayed at the hospital temporarily to take care of Ji Li.

Angelica called me over to help, I should be back soon.

There shouldn't be any action tonight. Let's observe the reactions of the Knights Squad and the Dead Water Knights, and then secretly advance while things unfold...

However, after thinking it over and over, Ji Li felt as if she had forgotten something.

what is it then?

The logic framework of the Ascension Protocol popped into Ji Li's retina, and he suddenly realized what it meant and pulled out a reverse cross:
"Clementine".

I almost forgot to release this guy right away.

Given that Ji Li has taken her into the cross, she needs to be activated.

Strangely, the nun, who always longed for "freedom," did not appear immediately.

This made Ji Li frown slightly.

This situation did not occur during the "rebellious phase" when this person first became a bound being, because she was essentially summoned by activating the inverted cross with spiritual energy.

Just as he was about to call out again, endless black hair burst forth from the inverted cross like tentacles.

A small portion of it wrapped around Ji Li's hand from the inside out, while the rest formed a twisted, menacing ghostly shadow in mid-air.

The endless black hair enveloped the entire room, especially Ji Li's body—

"Clementine!"

Ji Li raised her hand and grabbed a large clump of hair from her body, then immediately raised her voice.

This is in a crowded hospital, where Angelica might be right next door.

While the Moon Devouring Bracelet is waiting to be charged, don't you dare cause me any trouble.

But the ghostly figure showed no reaction whatsoever, growing increasingly frantic as if it had fallen into some kind of out-of-control state, even emitting low, painful howls—

Is it a rule?
The logical framework spreading across his retina allowed Ji Li to quickly pinpoint the reason:

[Loneliness Tendency: Clementine Caro no longer has suicidal tendencies, but she will intermittently exhibit depressive symptoms and crave reassurance in her own way, unable to carry out other commands until she is comforted.]

The behavior of mortises cannot be judged by emotions. Clementine, as a bound person, may be different, but this abnormal situation must be caused by the rules.

Is it because the Blackwater Knight Bordeaux's mercury poison caused the prolonged sensory experience within the Reverse Cross?
But how am I supposed to comfort you about this?
Seeing that the black hair on his body was growing thicker and thicker, Ji Li didn't bother to think too much about it and flicked his finger, sending a feather flying out:

"wake up!"

The feather whistled and pierced the ghost's forehead, instantly pulverizing and obliterating its thousands of black hairs, which then frantically shrank back onto the ghost, transforming into Clementine's figure, which fell onto Ji Li's hospital bed with a "thud".

She raised her bewildered little face, and her first reaction upon seeing Ji Li was surprise and delight. Then, looking around, her surprise and delight intensified.

Then it turned into a touch of melancholy, and finally into a deep sense of resentment and depression.

"What's wrong with you?" Ji Li asked, frowning.

Clementine looked down at him, biting her lip lightly: "Four months..."

Does that mean I stayed inside for four months this time?
Clementine nodded reluctantly, and the little pearls began to fall out uncontrollably, accompanied by soft sobs.

This guy……

Compared to the three months she spent being sucked to death by Angelica last time, the Blackwater Knight's mercury poison kept her inside for four months.

Seeing the chaotic spiritual energy in her tearful eyes, Ji Li picked up the crucifix and sensed her current situation.

After the spirit had circulated around inside, Ji Li discovered that the guy was indeed in a state of spiritual chaos, but he was unharmed.

Generally speaking, this situation often occurs in the spirits of people who show signs of corruption, having suffered a major mental blow and setback that leads to a certain emotional low.

Even a small shift can cause its emotions to rebound, and it will completely corrupt it into something malevolent.

However, Clementine herself is an evil, so this situation should be caused by the "loneliness tendency" rule being triggered.

So what do you want me to do to make you less lonely? You're already lying in the same bed with me, so why are you crying?
Clementine cried louder and louder, ignoring his cries. Ji Li knew that this guy was truly depressed.
"Okay, stop crying, come here."

Clementine ignored him and continued to cry.

Ji Li could only grab her wrist, pull her close, and wipe away her tears:

"I told you not to cry."

The moment he touched her, Clementine fell silent, looking at him with a pitiful expression.

So, what does loneliness correspond to... companionship?
Ji Li immediately understood, gently hugged the girl, and rested her head on his shoulder:
How do you soothe a child?

Thinking back on the children I've encountered in Murphy's Big House over the past few centuries, it seems they were either car thieves or pickpockets.

Or they are soldiers who are born into cyberspace and trained, serving in the military for a year, becoming elite soldiers in three years, and then being thrown into a highly modified body at the age of eight to become a king of soldiers through rapid training.

She definitely can't be a woman. If Ji Li's way of coaxing women were used on Clementine now, it would be like treating a mentally ill person with a strong body, and her condition would definitely worsen.

That's a baby, right?
So Ji Liji hugged this girl, gently patted her back, and began to gently rock this large nun, just like soothing a baby, turning her into a human crib.

Clementine's reaction also made Ji Li realize that he had done the right thing.

The chaotic spiritual energy in her eyes quickly calmed down, the tears gradually stopped, and her eyes began to clear.

So, is this the manifestation of the cost of infinite rebirth?
Ji Lixin felt something.

The inverted cross necklace grants her the ability to regenerate infinitely and heal all injuries.

But the price of this infinite rebirth is that her mind is tormented by the long, visceral experience of darkness and loneliness, and her condition worsens with each death and injury, ultimately making her a complete slave to the Resting Object, instead of controlling everything about it as she does now.

Otherwise, why would they be called the bound ones?

Clementine himself may not have been aware of this logic, but it should be quite similar to Ji Li's conjecture.

This punitive nature of "loneliness" may also stem from the shadowy personality within her awakened aura, as evidenced by her tragic interpersonal relationships:
"Um...that's fine..."

After wandering around for most of the day, Clementine's face was flushed.
What a shame.

"Put me down, I'm alright..."

"You must promise not to suddenly have another seizure."

"……I promise!"

Ji Li then let go, and Clementine floated into the air to tidy up her slightly exposed, white clothes:

"Thank you, Master, for your trouble..."

"There are many more people you need to thank," Ji Li said, his eyes narrowed, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

Clementine clearly understood what Ji Li meant, biting her lower lip lightly, her face filled with resentment:
"I see……"

Companionship can alleviate Clementine's punishment mechanism for her loneliness tendencies, allowing her spiritual fluctuations to return to normal.

From this perspective, the rule of "suicidal tendencies" before her promotion was much more severe than it is now, almost constantly pushing her into a state of loss of control and falling into the control of the morgue.

And it was only after Ji Li helped her get promoted that she was able to get rid of it.

After a moment of hesitation, Clementine lifted the milk foam with one hand and pushed aside the leather underneath with the other, revealing a large expanse of heavy, moon-white milk foam about to burst forth:

"Then... is this okay...?" Having spent some time together, she obviously knew what Ji Li liked the most.

But what she didn't know was that Ji Li often disdained such pure observation:

"come over."

Clementine's scalp tingled, and he immediately fled into the floor.

"Ha, young man."

Ignoring the nun who was hiding, Ji Li took out his dragon ring and retrieved the [Moon Devourer] from it.

The surface of this thing has a complex pattern, but you can roughly see seven distinct rune indentations. The seven kinds of sinful emotions absorbed will light it up, and once they are all lit up, the charging is complete.

It sounds complicated, but it is, after all, a psychic artifact of the Mingzhao level.

According to Kaoru Goku, charging this thing was incredibly easy for her.

She has eight personalities, each with a different character and a different shadow personality. Each personality can unleash its power once, leaving one extra, instantly filling the Moon Devourer.

Ji Li was pondering how to fully fill this thing when he noticed that one of the runes was already partially filled:

"arrogant?"

He recalled his interaction with Clementine just now:
"Is it because of that sentence, 'You still have a lot to thank'...?"

How is arrogance such a heinous crime? I don't really understand you Earthlings.

In short, this one is the type that he can always be full of. The other six are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, and envy. With a few exceptions, there are suitable candidates to be filled with these.

Since things have come to this, let's take a break first:
"Clementine".

The nun peeked half her body out from the wall behind the bed:
"I am here……"

"Come and warm the bed."

Clementine was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses, her eyes filled with grievance:

"Can I refuse...?"

No reply.

"Owner?"

silence.

"Owner?"

Pulitzer? Odin?

He actually fell asleep?
Clementine emerged and casually turned off the light, then floated above Ji Li, watching his sleeping face:

"Fool?"

With no response, Clementine grew bolder:

"Idiot? Moron!"

"You bastard, you pervert, you slut..."

Before she could finish speaking, a strong force pulled her into the bed, where she met Ji Li's bright eyes in the darkness:

"Master...Master..."

"Don't go too far."

"Sorry……"

Ji Li didn't say anything more and wrapped his arms around Clementine's slender waist.

The nun's embrace felt similar to that of the piano. Although it was not quite as good as the wide-body carriage that served lust completely, where the body and soul were united, the undulations between the waist and hips were still quite significant.

Compared to Anya's supermodel physique, it's a different kind of physical experience. Plus, since there's no body temperature, it's not so cold that you'd freeze to death; it's just cool and quite comfortable.

As for Clementine herself, she didn't dare to move an inch. If Ji Li dared to reach out and lift her clothes, she would immediately launch herself into action.

The next day, Ji Li released Clementine from his arms:

"You just stared at me with your eyes open all night?"

Clementine nodded weakly.

Ji Li couldn't help but pat her slender waist:
"Go."

Watching the nun disappear into the wall, Ji Li stretched and turned to see Aiquier, who was keeping watch over her.

The little girl with red hair was sleeping in her small bed, looking exhausted.

It seems she didn't realize that Ji Li had slept with a female ghost all night.

He reached out and ruffled her long red hair, and Aquile woke up instantly:
Pulitzer?

She removed Ji Li's hand:

How are you feeling? Are you alright?

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

Seeing Ji Li prop his head up and sway slightly, Aiquier's eyes dimmed:
"I'm sorry... how much do you remember about what happened before?"

Ji Li pretended to recall for a moment:
"We seem to be at sea... I saw something trying to attack you? And then I..."

You've fainted!

Aquil's voice suddenly rose, and he hugged Ji Li tightly.

He could sense that the other person's body was trembling slightly.

"You've fainted..."

Having just gone from icy cold to scalding hot, Ji Li was still a little unaccustomed to it:

"Um... calm down, I passed out. And then what happened?"

Aquil opened his mouth.

How should I say it?
You've actually died once already. I made a deal with a guy named "Odin" to bring you back to life...

No, this might be part of Ms. Laurent's plan; who knows what kind of strange abilities they might possess.

So I should tell him the story Odin prepared for me: he was carried away by a monster, and I killed a boy with fish scales on his face and rescued him...

But regardless of the circumstances, it was my negligence that led to this result. Is this really a good thing?
A surge of guilt welled up inside him, and Aquile gritted his teeth, unsure how to explain it to Pulitzer—

"I'll talk to him."

The door opened, and Angelica and Sica entered the ward.

Sika wasn't seriously injured, thanks to his ability to disrupt enemy operations from a distance. He only broke one arm, which is now in a black cast around his neck.

Angelica was covered in bandages, her skin was pale, and her lips were almost bloodless.

However, after a night's rest, her bloodshot eyes were bright and alert. When she saw Ji Li, her eyes lit up slightly, but she quickly suppressed them.

Because of a promotion?
The advancement of an awakened person often occurs in a moment of sudden enlightenment, a sudden realization after the end of a certain experience, or a strong emotional fluctuation triggered during action, which breaks through the bottleneck.

Angelica is clearly the last one.

Little bat, you should really thank me...

Ji Li, whose inner thoughts were quite complex, looked at Angelica blankly and spoke as a way of greeting her.

Sika, having shed her previous party airs, fawned over and brought over two stools, handing Ji Li and Ai Guier two long loaves of bread and some milk.
"I just bought it on a whim, thinking you guys must be hungry too, so you can eat while you listen."

Angelica, who had taken her seat, gestured for Ji Li to extend his hand.

She grasped Ji Li's wrist, carefully sensed it, nodded to Sika, and then looked at Ji Li:
"Congratulations on becoming an 'apprentice'."

Ji Li and Ai Guier exchanged a glance; the latter looked somewhat bewildered, while the former pretended to be.

"Apprentice" is the term used by the awakened beings of White Island to describe the stage of "projecting the extraordinary."

Most of it was content that Ji Li already knew by heart, with only differences in terminology and ability systems.

For example, "Limbo" is used as an academic term on White Island, but is commonly known as "Avalon" or "Avalon Block".

Because before the term "Limbo" was used in the local spiritual psychology of White Isle, the Arthurian legend of "Avalon" already existed on the land of White Isle as an alternate dimension.

Later, Avalon collapsed, floating in the three dimensions before finally sinking to the bottom of the underworld, becoming a deep underworld called "Bloody Britain," which corresponds to the "Hell of the Vengeful Dragons" of the Dragon Lord.

This can be considered Angelica's explanation of local history to the two of them.

"There is now a repose within your soul; it has merged with you."

"There are many other awakened beings in this world, but they all arrive at the same destination, with emotions and thoughts as the foundation, giving birth to spirituality."

"Apprentices are similar to a type of awakened being called 'mourners,' but the difference is that mourners draw power from the personal relics within them, namely mortises."

The apprentice, on the other hand, adopts a dualistic approach, a balance of mutual generation and restraint, to deal with their own spirituality, intending to break free from the control of the anointing and become its friend and partner, conforming but not blindly following, working together rather than serving it.

“When you complete your self-oath, it means that your soul has truly been freed from the influence of the resting place and you have become a ‘Spirit Oath Knight’.”

This popular science information wasn't very useful to Ji Li, but Aiquier listened intently—

She had not received such a detailed and systematic explanation in the previous confidentiality agreement.

Angelica then explained to the two of them the knowledge about pacifics and their previous situation at sea.

What particularly interested Ji Li was the "Royal Asylum" that Angelica mentioned.

Generally, if the mortise is not destroyed by the knights and apprentices who come to resolve the anomaly, it will be taken back to the "Museum of Mortise" in the Royal Containment Center for preservation and sealing.

Some can even be used as spiritual tools, directly drawn upon, or taken by other awakened organizations for apprentice training.

Red Maple is located in County St. Andrews, and its capital, Birmingham, is home to a sizable museum that ranks among the top three in the White Isle.

"Is it official?"

“Not entirely.” Sika sighed.
"Nominally, it is considered official, but in reality, it is private."

"Because that is the Ludwig family's resting place museum."
-
P.S.: Back to work, let's keep striving this month and get back into shape. This chapter is under 6,000 words, so I won't break it into separate chapters.

(End of this chapter)